1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically assembling a cord fastener which is used for adjustably fastening or stopping a fastening cord or string attached to a helmet, a hat, a bag, a garment, or other various articles. More particularly, the cord fastener to be assembled on the apparatus is of the type which is molded of synthetic resin and constructed to utilize a spring force in locking a cord in position against displacement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various cord or string fasteners are known in the art which are attached to cords or strings on helmets, hats, bags, garments, or other objects for adjustably fastening or stopping the cords by using a spring force. One such prior cord fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,584 issued on Feb. 16, 1988 and assigned to the present assignee.
The disclosed cord fastener, as illustrated here in FIGS. 2 and 3, is composed of two fastener members coupled together. One of the two fastener members is a male member 3 composed of a substantially cylindrical head 3A and a pair of resilient legs 3B, 3B extending integrally and downwardly from the head 3A. The other fastener member is a socket-like female member 6 composed of a substantially hollow cylindrical body 6A. The head 3A of the male member 3 has a transverse cord insertion through-hole 2 for receiving therein a cord. The body 6A of the female member 6 has an axial blind hole 4 opening upwardly for receiving therein the legs 3B and the head 3A of the male member 3. The axial blind hole 4 has a cross-sectional shape which is lockingly engageable with the male member 3. The female member 6 further has a pair of diametrically opposite cord insertion holes 5 communicating with the axial blind hole 4. The cord insertion holes 5 are alignable with the cord insertion through-hole 2 of the male member 3 for receiving the cord. The male and female members 3, 6 are molded of synthetic resin such as polyacetal or polyamide,
The resilient legs 3B, 3B each have an engagement portion 7 which is formed as an enlarged foot projecting laterally outwardly from a lower end of the resilient leg 3B, 3B. The engagement portions 7, 7 are resiliently displaceable as indicated by the phantom lines shown in FIG. 3, in response to resilient deformation of the corresponding legs 3B, 3B. The female member 6 includes two opposed engagement portions 8 formed, as a pair of diametrically opposite retaining lugs, on an inside surface of the axial blind hole 4. When the male member 3 is inserted into the axial blind hole 4 of the female member 6, the foot-like engagement portions 7 of the male member 3 are interlocked with the lug-like engagement portions 8 of the female member 6. Thus, the male member 3 and the female member 6 are assembled into a cord fastener 1.
The thus assembled cord fastener 1 is attached to a cord 9 on a garment, such as outerwear (not shown), in a manner shown in FIG. 4. The cord 9 which is threaded through one of the cord insertion holes 5, the cord insertion through-hole 2 and the other cord insertion hole 5 is locked in position against displacement by a spring force which is generated from co-action between the resilient legs 3B, 3B of the male member 3 and a tapered inner surface 4A of the female member 6.
Heretofore, the cord fastener 1 has been assembled manually by the operator. Such a manual assembling operation requires a muscle effort when the male member 3 is forced into the axial blind hole 4 in the female member 6 against the resiliency of the legs 3B, 3B until the foot-like engagement portions 7 of the male member 3 are interlocked with the corresponding lug-like engagement portions 8 of the female member 6. Thus, the manual assembling operation is laborious and tends to tire out the operator, and can only produce assembled cord fasteners at a limited efficiency.